Written questions by Shannon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of foreign aid since 4 July 2024.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to delivering effective programming. As we reorient our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget following the decision to shift to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income, we will have an even greater focus on delivering impact - ensuring every pound delivers for the UK taxpayer and the people we support.Effectiveness and value for money are assessed on an ongoing basis as part of embedded processes, and we continue to improve the effectiveness of all UK aid. The FCDO's Programme Operating Framework maximises the impact of aid through consideration of various factors including effectiveness, while programmes undergo an annual review of effectiveness using a results framework. To assess value for money and inform decision-making throughout the programme lifecycle, we use a mix of quantitative data and qualitative information.These are published to the Development Tracker website, as part of our ODA transparency commitments, which further supports aid effectiveness by providing information to inform other donors' spending decisions. Monitoring and evaluation play an important role in understanding the outcomes and impact of our work and we publish a range of outcomes statistics on GOV.UK.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of drugs-related deaths; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland on this issue.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidenced-based, high-quality treatment, to reduce the number of drug related deaths. Local authorities are responsible for assessing the local need for drug and alcohol prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet those needs. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment.The Department has an action plan in place to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths, which is currently being reviewed to ensure that it is grounded in the latest understanding of the drivers of drug and alcohol related deaths, and is responding to these. In 2024, the Department published guidance for local authorities and their partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol-related deaths and near-fatal overdoses, to prevent future deaths.Alongside the funding allocations, the Department has a range of existing and forthcoming best practice resources and guidance that supports those working in the sector to tailor drug and alcohol treatment services to meet local needs, to improve treatment outcomes. The commissioning quality standard provides guidance to local authorities on how to ensure they have a shared understanding of local need, including the experiences of diverse populations. The commissioning quality standard is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services The Department continues to work with all local areas to address unmet needs and drug and alcohol misuse deaths, and to drive improvements in the continuity of care. This includes the Unmet Need Toolkit, which can be used by local areas to assess local need and plan to meet it. As health is a devolved matter, each administration of the United Kingdom takes its own decisions on the provision of treatment and other action to address drug related deaths. Nonetheless, it is important that the four nations work together and share learning to tackle the health harms that drugs pose. This includes through our UK wide legislation to expand access to take home naloxone that has been developed in close partnership with devolved administrations. We will continue to work closely with colleagues in the devolved administrations, to share learning and align our approaches where appropriate.

What steps his Department is taking to help protect UK submarine cables from potential foreign threats.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and the Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing their security. This is a whole-of-Government effort including the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside industry and international partners. The Strategic Defence Review 2025 underscores the UK's commitment to safeguarding its critical underwater infrastructure; the review designates the Royal Navy to take a leading role in protecting undersea infrastructure. RFA Proteus, the UK’s first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship, is now operational and its leading-edge technology can monitor underwater infrastructure in areas of UK sovereign interest

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of cyber fraud incidents in the last six months.

We committed in our manifesto to introduce a new Fraud Strategy, which covers a range of areas including improved public awareness and victim support, better collaboration with Technology and Telecom industries and with international partners. Development of the Strategy has begun and further details will be set out in due course.Through our Stop! Think Fraud campaign, work continues to help the public protect themselves from fraud. We’re also working closely with our strategic partners to make fraud a global priority and dismantle international networks of scammers. Furthermore, as of March 2025, the Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties are now enforceable by Ofcom. Under the Act, the largest firms will also be required to do all they can to prevent fraudulent advertising appearing on their platforms.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to (a) support and (b) help uphold human rights in Syria.

The UK has consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Government of Syria. We have been clear that civilians must be protected from violence and those responsible held to account. Our regular engagement with and support to Syrian civil society focuses on protecting and advocating for human rights and gender equality, ensuring an inclusive transitional process and supporting social cohesion. Through the Integrated Security Fund, we are also funding programmes to document human rights violations and support the trial and convictions of perpetrators of war crimes, including sexual violence.

What steps her Department is taking to help protect freedom of faith in schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Religious education (RE) is a compulsory part of the basic curriculum in state schools. The government firmly believes in the importance of RE in helping to foster understanding amongst different faith and culture.All state-funded schools must also provide a daily act of collective worship. It is for schools to tailor their provision to suit the needs of their pupils.Faith schools, which remain an important element of our education system, have greater freedom to maintain their religious ethos. This could include teaching religious education and providing collective worship in accordance with the tenets and practices of their faith.Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or any part of religious education or collective worship.All schools have specific duties to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils and to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life. Furthermore, schools are required to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. Ofsted inspects how schools and colleges develop their pupils' understanding of these values.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of in-school counselling services.

Education is a devolved matter and this response outlines the information for England only.Timely and effective in-school pastoral support is critical to achieving high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity.It is for schools to choose the specific wellbeing interventions that are best suited to their pupils, making the best use of their funding and taking the best available evidence-based advice. Many schools choose to provide in-school counsellors, and these can play a positive role in supporting pupil mental wellbeing.So that every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate, this government has committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). By April 2026, we estimate that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025.The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed an additional £2.3 billion for the core schools budget for the 2025/26 financial year compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core schools funding will reach over £63.9 billion in 2025/26.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) the enforced disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and (b) other concerns for the religious freedom of Tibetan Buddhists; whether he has made recent representations to his Chinese counterpart on these issues; and what steps his Department is taking to help protect religious rights for Tibetan Buddhists.

The UK Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. We have serious concerns regarding the welfare and whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.We will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through the UN and bilateral engagement.  For example, the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively). The UK also joined a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October 2024.We continue to do all we can to encourage freedoms for religious and cultural expression in Tibet and across China.

How many people passed away with sepsis in (a) the last 12 months and (b) the previous 12 month period.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual data on the number of death registrations where sepsis was the underlying cause of death, and where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, in England and Wales between 2001 and 2023. The ONS has not yet published the number of death registrations for sepsis for 2024.According to the ONS, the number of deaths registered where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in England and Wales was 26,203 in 2023. Published ONS data for deaths involving sepsis is available at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/2111deathsinvolvingsepsisenglandandwales2001to2023

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve the UK's cyber security.

The cyber security of the UK is a priority for the government. This year we will introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to improve UK cyber defences and better secure our essential services and the IT infrastructure they rely upon. The government offers free guidance, tools and training to help businesses and organisations improve their cyber resilience. This includes a new Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks, and the Cyber Essentials scheme which is highly effective in protecting businesses against cyber attacks. The PSTI Act, along with codes of practice on AI, software and apps, are helping protect organisations at scale by making technology secure by design. Later this year, the government will publish a new National Cyber Strategy setting out how we will approach the challenges and opportunities of cyber security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with NATO to help tackle global wildfires.

A recent World Resources Institute report (https://gfr.wri.org/latest-analysis-deforestation-trends) highlighted record-breaking levels of forest loss, linked to climate change driven wildfires. Rising temperatures and environmental degradation are increasing the likelihood, severity and frequency of wildfires. NATO's 2022 Strategic Concept also defines climate change as a "crisis and a threat multiplier". The UK is working with international partners to protect, restore, and sustainably manage critical ecosystems, including tropical forests, and encouraging increased international collaboration on wildfires including through the Food and Agriculture Organisation's Global Fire Management Hub. Within NATO, all Allies are able to request support or assistance in response to crises or natural disasters. The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) is NATO's principal civil emergency response mechanism. In a crisis, it can coordinate assistance to the affected NATO Ally or partner country provided by other members and partners. The EADRCC has supported international responses to floods, earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, mining incidents, public health emergencies and refugee crises.

What steps NHS England is taking to ensure that NHS trusts are prepared to deliver (a) timely and (b) equitable access to emerging treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, in the context of (i) challenges highlighted through recent early access programmes and (ii) the likelihood of these therapies entering routine commissioning.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes is not the responsibility of NHS England. Individual pharmaceutical companies may put in place Early Access Programmes (EAPs) to allow early access to new medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation. Participation in EAPs is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level, and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.There are no common clinical, data, or regulatory standards for company-sponsored EAPs, meaning each one demands a new protocol to be devised and delivered by each participating trust, which can create significant pressures on clinical and financial resources. Companies providing a sponsored EAP also reserve the right to limit or to close registration of new patients at any time, meaning that any financial and clinical investment made by trusts to establish an EAP could be undermined by a commercial decision that would most likely happen in the event of the treatment not being recommended following an appraisal by NICE.NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge (FoC) medicine schemes, including EAPs, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any FoC scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to increase the number of listed buildings; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on tourism.

Heritage is a devolved matter and there are currently around 370,000 listed building entries on the National Heritage List for England.There is no overall objective to increase the number of listed buildings; however, buildings are added to the list in England when they meet the criteria in the published Principles of Selection for Listed Buildings. Additions may follow an application or be as a result of thematic listing assessments to address gaps in the list, focusing on certain types of heritage or locations that are not well represented.The link between Heritage and Tourism is well established and while no formal assessment has been made of the specific impact of increasing the number of listed buildings on tourism, heritage is a significant driver of visitor interest. According to VisitBritain, historic buildings and landmarks are among the top motivations for international tourists visiting the UK.

What information his Department holds on whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence plans to improve the (a) transparency and (b) consistency of its guidance on the application of carer health-related quality of life in its single technology appraisal process.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal process allows its independent committees to take societal benefits, such as health-related quality-of-life for carers and the impact on personal social services, into account. NICE’s methods are set out in its published health technology evaluations manual, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/process/pmg36Evaluations should consider all health effects for patients, and, when relevant, carers. When presenting health effects for carers, evidence should show when the condition is associated with a substantial effect on a carer’s health-related quality of life and how the technology affects carers. This applies for all therapies, including therapies for rare diseases. NICE appraisals specifically consider health-related quality of life, for both patients and carers, rather than quality of life as a whole.

Whether NHS England has made an assessment of the adequacy of the preparedness of NHS trusts to implement new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, in the context of lessons learned from recent early access programmes.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes is not the responsibility of NHS England. Individual pharmaceutical companies may put in place Early Access Programmes (EAPs) to allow early access to new medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation. Participation in EAPs is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level, and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.There are no common clinical, data, or regulatory standards for company-sponsored EAPs, meaning each one demands a new protocol to be devised and delivered by each participating trust, which can create significant pressures on clinical and financial resources. Companies providing a sponsored EAP also reserve the right to limit or to close registration of new patients at any time, meaning that any financial and clinical investment made by trusts to establish an EAP could be undermined by a commercial decision that would most likely happen in the event of the treatment not being recommended following an appraisal by NICE.NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge (FoC) medicine schemes, including EAPs, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any FoC scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

Representing the Church Commissioners, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the steps the Church is taking to help tackle (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking.

Modern slavery remains hidden in British society, and the National Church Institutions of the Church of England take human trafficking and modern slavery seriously. With the support of the then Prime Minister Theresa May, the Church set up the Clewer Initiative in 2017 as its response to the prevalence of modern slavery, developing several tools for addressing modern slavery through the 'Car Wash' and 'Nail Bar' apps, and creating resources for identifying and tackling the exploitative agricultural and social care labour, sexual exploitation, and county lines traffickingThe Clewer Initiative continues to work closely across the Church in its parishes and dioceses to raise awareness through engagement with police, support and information services, and direct work with victims of trafficking in communities. You can find out more about their work here: https://theclewerinitiative.org. As the Clewer Initiative is in the process of becoming a separate charity, the National Church Institutions cannot provide a more detailed assessment of their workThe parishes of the Church of England are, through the clergy and congregations, committed to tackling the issues of modern slavery and offering support and signposting to victims on an ongoing basisThe Church Commissioners have continued at a global level to challenge the businesses in which they invest to tackle modern slavery in their supply chains. Details about the policies of the National Investing Bodies towards Human Rights, modern slavery, and combating trafficking can be found here: human-rights-advice-and-policy.pdf. Page 38 of the Church Commissioners' stewardship report also gives more details about how the Church Commissioners are addressing modern slavery in the companies in which they invest: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/6677_cc_stewardship_v11b_0.pdfThe Lord Bishop of Bristol, who serves as the Church's lead Bishop on modern slavery, continues to advocate for more action on modern slavery through her work in Parliament with the Government and civil society. London has the highest number of reported cases of modern slavery, and the Diocese of London has recently launched a campaign and resources to inform, support and address this issue. More information can be found here: https://www.london.anglican.org/church-and-parish-support/compassionate-communities/refugees-asylum-seekers-modern-slavery/responding-to-modern-slavery/?searchterm=modern+slavery National Church Institutions staff are also receiving training to help them spot signs of modern slavery and how to access help for those affected.

Whether his Department has made recent progress on making one-off payments to healthcare staff.

The most recent one-off payments for National Health Service staff in England were agreed as part of the 2023 Agenda for Change pay deal. No future one-off payments are actively being considered.The Department provided funding to cover the cost of these payments to eligible staff. It is the responsibility of local employing organisations to ensure correct payments are made to eligible staff.

If he will (a) publish a strategy to help improve the (i) diagnosis and (ii) detection of less survivable cancers and (b) ensure comprehensive (A) commissioning and (B) diagnostic capacity in (1) non-specific symptoms pathways, (2) urgent suspected cancer pathways and (3) GP direct access.

The Department is working to develop a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve the diagnosis and detection of less survivable cancers.As set out in the new plan for reforming elective care, the Government is committed to improving diagnostic capacity for cancer patients. Providers have been asked to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres (CDCs) and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the NHS Constitution standard for diagnostics and the cancer faster diagnosis standard, to reduce the number of patients waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer and to start treatment.The 2025/26 capital guidance confirmed that £1.65 billion of capital funding will be allocated to support National Health Service performance across secondary and emergency care across 2025/26 more broadly. This includes £0.6 billion which has been provisionally allocated for interventions to increase diagnostic capacity, including expanding existing CDCs, as well as building up to five new CDCs in 2025/26.To expand diagnostic capacity in the non-specific symptom pathway (NSS), the NHS is rolling out rapid diagnostic centres (RDC) as part of the NSS pathway, where patients suspected of having cancer can get the right tests at the right time in as few visits as possible. RDC pathways promote the continuous improvement of cancer diagnostics.The NHS is also expanding direct access to diagnostic scans across all general practices through the national roll out of fast track testing, helping to cut waiting times and speed up cancer diagnosis or cancer all-clear for patients, including developing and delivering at least 10 straight-to-test pathways by March 2026.

Whether he plans to increase funding for the research and development of diagnostic (a) tests and (b) tools to help support GPs to (i) diagnose and (ii) detect less survivable cancers (A) earlier and (B) faster.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.The level of funding for research and development generally depends on funding applications received. The NIHR continues to welcome high quality, high impact funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including less survivable cancers.In September 2024, the NIHR awarded £2.4 million to develop an artificial intelligence tool to support general practitioners (GPs) to identify suspected cancer faster and more effectively. It will use lung and pancreatic cancers as the first test cases. The NIHR also funded recently completed, January 2025, research into understanding how GPs use existing national guidance for urgent suspected cancer referral in primary care, with the findings expected to be published later this year.It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer earlier and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes for all patients across England. We are improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, streamlining referral routes, and increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres.We are also investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. We are committed to ensuring that GPs have the right training and systems to identify cancer. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients. It will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment and ensure all patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Assembly on supporting innovation in cyber security expansion.

DSIT continues to support Northern Ireland’s cyber ecosystem through key investments such as the Cyber AI Hub programme at Queen’s University Belfast. The programme drives innovation in AI-based cyber security technologies, research, and skills development.During Cyber NI Week 2025 I visited Belfast and met with NI stakeholders to discuss the strengths of the sector and explore the opportunities and challenges for growth.More broadly, my DSIT ministerial colleagues and I regularly engage with Ministers in the NI Executive to maximise the benefits of science and technology across Northern Ireland. DSIT also has a Regional Cyber Lead in Northern Ireland who regularly engages with the sector, including relevant policy teams in the Northern Ireland Executive.